Multi-jawed wrench having slidable handgrip



April 5, 1955 A. GOLDMAN MULTI-JAWED WRENCH HAVING SLIDABLE HANDGRIP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1953 J 44! JJ In u 6 12,230.11 G 0 21' ii [IL (2.13,

April 5, 1955 A. GOLDMAN MULTI-JAWED WRENCH HAVING SLIDABLE HANDGRIP Filed Dec. 2, L953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent MULTI-JAWED WRENCH HAVING SLIDABLE HANDGRIP Alfred Goldman, London, England, assignor to Leytonstone Jig & Tool Company Limited, London, England Application December 2, 1953, Serial No. 395,703

Claims priority, application Great Britain December 10, 1952 6 Claims. (Cl. 8l--119) This invention relates to multi-rigid-jawed wrenches.

The conventional form of multi-jawed wrenches consists in a shank or handle with two, three or more jaws at each end arranged around the periphery of an enlargement of the shank. The number of jaws that can thus be accommodated is limited by the size of enlargement that can conveniently be used in any confined spac around the nut being tightened or loosened.

The object of the present invention is to provide a multi-jawed wrench having a large number of separate jaws which does not suffer from the disadvantage above referred to and which is simple to manufacture.

The invention consists in a wrench comprising an elongated shank having a plurality of recesses forming nut-engaging jaws at opposite ends and along opposite sides of the shank, at least one side of the shank being provided with a channel member and means slidably mounting said channel member on said shank, the length of said channel member being substantially less than the length of'said side, whereby said channel member can be moved longitudinally to cover at least some of the side recesses not being used and to form a smooth handle by which the tool is gripped. P

The accompanying drawing shows, by way of example only one embodiment in accordance with the invention in which:

Figure l is a plan view of the wrench;

Figure 2 is-an edge view of the wrench,

Figure 3 is a part section, part elevation on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan view of an arcuate wrench;

Figure 5 is part of a wrench showing a channel with finger indentations, while Figure 6 is a perspective view of a milled channel.

The tool shown in the figures can be conveniently formed by forging and is made about 9" long, /6." thick and tapering from about 2% at one end to 1 /2 at the other, the larger end being formed with the largest jaw while the smaller end is formed with the smallest jaw, both being symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal axis of the wrench. The sides of the tool are straight between the ends and are formed with four jaws of intermediate size with their axes of symmetry at right angles to said sides. As is the custom with such tools the material adjacent the jaw faces is thickened at 1, thus forming webs 2 between the jaws to maintain adequate strength and yet to reduce the weight of material used.

Parallel to the sides of the wrench and on both faces the thickened parts 1 adjacent the face of the jaws are provided with grooves 3 which are in line with one another and of a depth nearly to the surface of the web, and which accommodate internal lips on the flanges of two channels 4 of C-section, one on each side, each channel being somewhat less in length than half the length of each side. These channels are substantially rectangular in section as shown in Figure 3 and are free to slide along the grooves. The grooves are not carried completely to the ends of the wrench and therefore the channels cannot be removed, but by sliding them both to the same end, they cover the open. faces of those side jaws adjacent that end, and thus provide a grip that protects the hand from being scratched or roughened by the jaws. These channels or sliding handles are preferably formed of a mild steel stamping.

It will be appreciated that the sliding handles need not be straight but can be arcuate so long as the sides of the spanner are formed in a similar manner, as shown in Figure 4. Also the handles can be formed with indentations or depressions to accommodate the fingers, as shown at 5 in Figure 5 or be milled to increase the grip as shown at 6 in Figure 6 and other details for carrying the invention into effect may be varied without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wrench comprising an elongated shank having a plurality of recesses forming nut-engaging jaws at opposite ends and along opposite sides of the shank, at least one side of the shank being provided with a channel member and means slidably mounting said channel member on said shank, the length of said channel member being substantially less than the length of said side, whereby said channel member can be moved longitudinally to cover at least some of the side recesses not being used and to form a smooth handle by which the tool is gripped.

2. A wrench as claimed in claim 1, in which the channel member is formed with indentations to accommodate the fingers.

3. A wrench as claimed in claim 1, in which the chan nel member is milled.

4. A wrench as claimed in claim 1, in which the channel member is of C-section and the shank of the wrench is formed with grooves on its opposite faces, said means slidably mounting said channel member comprising flanges thereon that slide in said grooves.

5. A wrench as claimed in claim 4, in which portions of the shank adjacent nut-engaging faces of the jaw recesses are made thicker than those portions of the shank which lie between said jaws, the grooves being formed in the thicker portions.

6. A wrench as claimed in claim 4, in which the channel is arcuate in respect of its length and the line of grooves on the shank follows the same arc.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 57,153 Saiford Feb. 22, 1921 66,643 Shepard July 9, 1867 496,595 Byler et al. May 2, 1893 590,710 Sheppard et al Sept. 28, 1897 1,498,602 Adell June 24, 1924 2,467,658 Carnelli Apr. 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 557,467 France May 2, 1923 

